Letters to the editor: Closing ‘Common Store’

Published: October 20, 2013

Closing ‘Common Store’

Socialism has been tried so many times it is absolutely amazing the Democrats have resurrected this failed form of government in recent years and loudly pronounce it “change.” Here’s what William Bradford, governor of the early Plymouth Colonies in 1620, had to say as they tried the “Common Store” concept of socialism.

“The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato’s and other ancients applauded by some of later times; that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort ...”

The “Common Store” was abolished, and each colonist was allowed to grow and sell what he could produce by himself. Here’s what happened:

“This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content.”

That was in 1620. Fast forward to the Soviet Union, North Korea and Cuba and please tell me what kind of leadership would want to dress up these disasters and foist them upon America.

Charles Reynolds

Sebring

Political carousel

Regarding “Run for Tampa council announced” (Metro, Oct. 15): After reading this article it occurred to me that all term limits have done to holding political office is create a carousel. Once a politician has maxed out his/her term in one office, they simply find some other office to hold. I guess that is how the power hungry get around the “will of the people.”

Of course, if the people keep voting them back into office, then it must be the will of the people, right? It couldn’t possibly be that the electorate is too lazy to find out who is running for what position and what qualifications they have, right? The electorate would never just vote for a name they recognize, or a name that has a specific ethnic flavor, or make a decision by gender, right?

The way these politicians just bounce from one office to another, I wonder why we don’t just elect a ruling party and be done with it.

Harald Stone

Tampa

Long process

Regarding signing up for Obamacare: I am guessing that the average person’s tolerance for waiting for responses 30 minutes, and hearing that people dedicated to getting Obamacare are spending hours and hours, means that getting this implemented is going to take a long, long time.

John Hutchison

Tampa

In great company

So Dianne Rothenbuehler of Tampa thinks I’m a “DUNCE” just because I occasionally misspell a word (“The value of spelling,” Your Views, Oct. 16). I’m not going to fret over it because if this truly is the case, it puts me in some really great company — men such as Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Mark Twain, Nyrum Reynolds, Hiram Runnels and others who often took liberty with the spelling of words. I prescribe to the philosophy of the late general and president Andrew Jackson, who said: “It is a damn poor mind indeed which can’t think of at least two ways to spell any word.”